With Minimal Hopes for March Madness, Can Bronny James and USC Surprise Arizona?

The landscape of Galen Center looked mesmerizing with the blazing Trojans running with lightning-fast efficiency. This is the charm and enigma of Bronny James and Co. making it rain on their home court in their previous matchup against Arizona Wildcats. The audience had the chance to witness the magnificence of USC’s hardwood with the men of Troy bouncing off and dunking back-to-back, leading USC to a 78-65 win over Arizona.

However, they are currently standing in a challenging position, ranking 11th overall with a disappointing record of 4 wins and 10 losses. What does it say? Let’s find out.

USC Trojans to be left out of March Madness?

Despite having a magnificent scoring potential, Trojans’ record doesn’t seem to qualify with their above-mentioned stats. As a result, USC’s chances of securing a spot in the March Madness Tournament are very thin. Their current situation is a glimpse of the tough battle they faced just to meet the demands of this trying season.

First of all, the team’s key players faced injuries at crucial plays. Injuries are the most credited factor in disrupting a team’s chemistry and overall performance by the players. Similarly, USC’s leading scorer Boogie Ellis, along with assist leader Isaiah Collier and shot-blocker Joshua Morgan faced injuries in some matchups. Their injuries strongly affected the team’s ability to perform consistently on both ends of the court.

They also have been struggling with inconsistency in defense. They allow an average of 75.5 points per game and rank at 266th position across the United States. This is indeed one of the major areas for them to work on, to improve their defensive rotations, communication, and rim protection.

Another difficulty that the Trojans have been facing is the high level of competition with other teams in the Pac-12 pushing for tournament spots. Hence, it has been challenging for Trojans to secure wins and maintain the season momentum. Their recent form has been out of shape as they were able to manage only 2 victories in their last 10 games, giving a reflection that they are out of rhythm that is essential for a late-season push, which they are lacking.

Given their last face-off with Arizona was an outstanding victory, winning the Pac-12 title is their last hope as it will be an outright sure shot for them in the March Madness. Now, with Arizona looking to bounce back (which they would), Trojans have a daunting task at hand, or a tedious opportunity to fight for the championship. According to USC’s history, the team has had a rich track with 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and 2 trips to the Final Four.

Read More: Bronny James’ Basketball Career Gets the Green Light 130 Days After Cardiac Arrest Scare

However, it all depends on the upcoming Pac-12 championship title game. Let’s take a measure on both teams.

USC Trojans vs. Arizona Wildcats

Ranking 9th in the Pac-12, USC Trojans is a team housing the prodigal combination of Bronny James and DJ Rodman. Their presence on the teams’ roster brings strategic insights as their fathers are LeBron James and Dennis Rodman, one of the biggest names in the NBA. DJ Rodman has been averaging 8.5 points, 5 rebounds (team’s leading rebounder), and 1.3 assists per game, with a field goal shooting percentage of 45%. Meanwhile, Bronny James has been averaging 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. Bronny’s scoring ability is to improve with time, given his life-threatening heart-related injury.

Moreover, there is the team’s leading scorer and guard Boogie Ellis, whose contributions have been outstanding with his scoring ability. This season, he has been averaging 16.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, with a field goal shooting ability of 43.5%. Similarly, guard Isaiah Collier has proved pivotal for the team with an average of 16.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, with a field goal shooting percentage of 49.2%.

Moving to the other side, one of this season’s top teams and ranking no.1 in the Pac-12, Arizona Wildcats hold a remarkable record of 24 wins and 6 losses, which has placed them at the top. They clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title with grit and authority, hence becoming the conference leaders. Their recent and dominant 88-65 victory against UCLA automatically solidified their position in the league.

Some finest players on its roster include Caleb Love, who has been averaging 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Arizona’s leading rebounder and shot-blocker Oumar Ballo has been averaging 13.1 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. He scores at the top in field goal percentage with 64%. Next in line is assist king Pelle Larsson with 13 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, and a field goal percentage of 53.5%.

Keshad Johnson’s contributions have been instrumental with 11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, along with Kylan Boswell who has averaged 10.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

Conclusively, both teams have the potential to beat down their opponents big time, it is just that Arizona has an added advantage in terms of their performance throughout the season over USC.